Hawker Beechcraft to convert two BAe 146-200QC aircraft for RAF passenger and freight service
FARNBOROUGH, England, 10 July 2012. Military aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) specialists at the Hawker Beechcraft Global Customer Support (GCS) service center in Chester, England will convert two BAe 146-200QC aircraft for the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence (MoD) under a sub-contract with BAE Systems Regional Aircraft.
Hawker Beechcraft made the announcement Monday at the Farnborough International Airshow in Farnborough, England. MRO experts will convert the aircraft from commercial to military configuration for the Royal Air Force (RAF) to carry passengers and freight.
The converted BAe 146-200QC aircraft also will carry troops during in-theater operations. The MOD acquired the two aircraft from TNT Airways S.A of Belgium.
BAE Systems Regional Aircraft at Prestwick design and integrate the military equipment for the aircraft, as well as for the sourcing of the equipment, managing the supply chain, and overall management of the conversion program. Hawker Beechcraft Services Chester do the actual conversion, which should be finished and delivered to the MoD by March 2013.
HBS Chester has previously completed five other UOR programs for the U.K. MoD, three of which were very similar to this conversion. The facility has considerable expertise in the BAe 146 for the RAF, having originally completed the interior conversions of the BAe 146-100s currently in operation and subsequently upgrading these aircraft in recent years.
Hawker Beechcraft is based in Wichita, Kan., and is comprised of five groups: Support Plus (cost predictability/warranty programs), Hawker Beechcraft Parts & Distribution (genuine factory parts), Hawker Beechcraft Services (factory-owned service centers), Technical Support (Field Support Representatives, Hot Line specialists and Technical Publications) and Global Mission Support (government business and special mission maintenance/training support).
For more information contact Hawker Beechcraft online at www.hawkerbeechcraft.com, or the Farnborough International Airshow at www.farnborough.com. Also follow Military & Aerospace Electronics and Avionics Intelligence daily Farnborough show coverage online at www.militaryaerospace.com/farnborough-report.
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John Keller | Editor
John Keller is editor-in-chief of Military & Aerospace Electronics magazine, which provides extensive coverage and analysis of enabling electronic and optoelectronic technologies in military, space, and commercial aviation applications. A member of the Military & Aerospace Electronics staff since the magazine's founding in 1989, Mr. Keller took over as chief editor in 1995.
